supermarket accident & Injury claims

Supermarket Accident Claims & Supermarket Injury Compensation

PSR Solicitors regularly deal with supermarket accident claims on behalf of the injured party. If you have been injured in a supermarket or shop, we can help you to claim compensation.

The injury itself will be causing you pain and suffering but it can also place limitations on your lifestyle. In addition, you may also be suffering from a loss of income which can add further strain to your situation.

Our specialist supermarket accident solicitors can help you with everything, from claiming for your injury and losses, such as loss of earnings and travel expenses, to arranging private medical treatment and rehabilitation to assist in your recovery. Pursuing compensation for your supermarket accident is not something you have to do on your own, you need specialist advice. Trust us to help you.

Supermarket Accident Compensation Claims

Supermarkets have a duty of care to protect their staff and customers under Occupiers Liability Act 1957 and the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, and any failure to fulfil this obligation is negligence on their part.

Supermarkets are large busy places, and as such, it is not always easy to keep up with every health and safety rule at all times. Realistically, is not possible to remove obstacles, clear broken glass or clean every spillage immediately. Customers sometimes cause these hazards themselves without realising it. Or if they did realise it, may not report them to staff through fear of having to pay for a breakage, to save time or just to avoid making a fuss. Therefore, it may take a while for the staff to become aware of a potential health and safety risk.

If the supermarket is able to demonstrate that they acted reasonably and in line with their legal duty of care, not every accident will lead to a supermarket accident claim.

What types of accident occur in supermarkets?

Supermarket accidents can affect customers and staff.

The most common types of accident involving customers are slips, trips and falls due to wet floors, spillages or cluttered floor space.

Due to the public nature of the incident, it is quite common for those who have suffered an injury in a supermarket to feel slightly embarrassed. Some even feel partly to blame for not taking enough care, but this is not necessarily the case. Supermarkets will attempt to reduce the level of liability and any potential payouts using the ‘contributory negligence’ defence. However, in many cases, it is fairly straightforward to demonstrate negligence due to spillages, falling objects or defective equipment. It is important to have evidence of the cause of the accident, so we recommend taking photos and asking for CCTV footage at the time of the incident.

For supermarket employees, there is an array of additional dangers, including poorly stacked goods in the warehouse, defective equipment, insufficient training and lifting of heavy objects. Accidents of this nature may be due to the company neglecting their duty of care to protect the health, safety, and welfare of their employees.

What are the most common injuries sustained in Supermarket Accidents?

Slips, trips and falls are the most common type of accidents in public and workplaces in general. They mostly occur when the surface is wet or slippery. If appropriate signs are not provided, or the company did not take appropriate steps to clean or dry the floor properly, the company may be liable for any accidents. The same goes for the outside. Pavements in disrepair, potholes, work equipment and wires are all common causes of accidents in supermarket car parks.

As supermarket accidents tend to be slips or trips, it is often the ankles, knees, wrists and back that are most often injured.

Knee – minor damage to the muscle, cartilage or soft tissue that causes pain and suffering could be compensated up to £20,000.

Ankle – ankles are often injured in slips and trips. Sprains and fractures could be compensated up to £10,960 depending on the length of recovery, scarring, pain and suffering.

Hands, Wrists, Arms – less severe injuries are likely to be in the £3,000 to £5,000 range, but if there is a loss of movement or permanent disability compensation could be in the £10,000 to £30,000 range.

Back – compensation for back injuries could be in the £6,000 to £10,000 range for mild injuries such as strains, sprains, muscle pain or a slipped disc.

How do Supermarket Accidents Occur?

When people are shopping, they do not pay full attention to where they are walking as they are looking at the products on the shelves. This is obviously the intention of the sellers and therefore there is a high duty placed on the supermarket or shop to ensure people are safe on their premises. This duty extends to the car parks, the inside of the store and all the staff who work there.

Supermarkets are busy places covering large areas of floor space with many moving parts. Particularly at peak times, it is easy to see how accidents can happen.

What should you do after a Supermarket Accident?

In the first instance, you should report your accident to the supermarket manager. Ask for the details to be recorded in the supermarket accident logbook and take the names of all the staff members involved.

Supermarket staff should offer first aid or call an ambulance if necessary.

No matter what the circumstances, or what your initial reactions are, the safest course of action at this time is to collect all the details while they are readily available.

Take the names of all staff members involved. This could be other customers and/or staff.

Take the name(s) and contact details of any witnesses

Keep a note of the time and date

Make sure the incident is recorded in the supermarket accident book

Take photos and/or video of what caused the accident

Ask for a copy of the CCTV footage

Seek medical advice and have your injuries written into your medical records

How much compensation is paid out for a Supermarket Accident Claim?

As with all personal injury claims, the level of compensation is dependent on the severity of the injury and the level of negligence.

There are two main categories of compensation that you can recover in any personal injury claim.

General damages cover the losses which are not easily quantifiable. They relate to the actual injuries suffered and the impact they have had on your quality of life.

General damages include:

Pain and suffering

loss of amenity

Mental trauma

Personality/ life changes

Special damages cover the tangible impacts on the individual concerned that can easily be converted into specific monetary amounts.

Special damages include:

Loss of earning

Medical expenses

Costs of care, rehabilitation, and adaptations to the home

financial losses for damage to personal property

Supermarket Accident Claim experience

Our experienced accident claim solicitors have a wealth of experience in dealing with following types of Supermarket accident and injury claims

Slipping accidents from spillages

Falls over items left on the floor

Goods or other items falling on you from overstocked shelves

Accidents caused by store employees

If you are looking to claim compensation for an accident in a supermarket and you want free advice from a fully qualified solicitor, then please contact us now.

Using one of our specialist solicitors ensures that you have a better chance of winning your claim and receiving all the compensation and help that you are entitled to on a No Win No Fee basis. This means that you won't have any legal costs to pay if your claim is unsuccessful so No Win No Fee = No Risk to You.

Contact our Accident Claim Solicitors in North Wales or our Injury Lawyers in Cheshire to get assistance from a fully qualified personal injury solicitor and you can rest assured, safe in the knowledge that one of our expert solicitors will take care of everything for you on a No Win No Fee basis allowing you to carry on with your life whilst we proceed with your legal case.

Book a Free Consultation

Book a free consultation with one of our experts to discuss your claim.

Testimonials

Can't fault PSR Solicitors at all, as a first time buyer without a clue where to start they helped me every step of the way. Any time of the day I needed advice they were there to help. They made whole process of purchasing a property so much easier, simpler and at a great cost.

Miss G, North Wales

I’m incredibly grateful to all at PSR Solicitors. I was sceptical at first of the ‘No Win, No Fee’ basis simply due to never taking legal action before. However, I will have no hesitancy recommending you to other who find themselves in similar circumstances. I’m really pleased with the result.